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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Quest Entry. Meet Yael of Houston Texas

Ahoy! Below is the lovely Yael, who is the leader, and core of the six person team dubbed the Transformers, or maybe it was Transformation In Motion. I don't remember. We named the team, and I subsequently started to call us the Transformers. Anyway, we bonded, as did our entire team. We did a whole lot of laughing. You can see a picture of the entire team by clicking here. The experience has left a rather permanent mark on me, as it did on most who put their heart into the experience. Here is Yael's experience in her own words. If you like, leave a comment or sent her and email.

Houston, Texas

Had to Cut Ray Out. Sorry Buddy!

So, I’m new to this whole blog thing. I don’t
have one of my own and honestly, before Christian, didn’t know anyone
personally who had one. I don’t even know how I got roped into
this. One minute we’re talking about acne (?) and the next, I’m
being invited to write a guest blog. At first, I think our dear friend is
soliciting gratuitous self endorsement, but he assures me otherwise and tells
me I can write about whatever I want. I think an appropriate topic to
share on someone else’s blog is my viewpoint on our shared experience:
Baptiste Yoga teacher training boot-camp! It’s nice and G-rated!

Post Bootcamp, Operation Fixa-Flat Near Austin

I’ve had a couple weeks to sit and reflect on the
experience- not to mention several dozen conversations- I always have my
deepest moments of clarity after I verbally articulate my thoughts, which I have
to say really came in handy at boot-camp- since there is no way you’re
going to get out of talking and sharing during that experience—EVER.

When I arrived at boot-camp, I had no idea what to expect.
Despite the many opinions I solicited from my various yoga teachers, no one
really shared with me what teacher training is about.

I think in my head, I assumed it would be yoga practice,
followed by intense yoga lecture and finish with practice teaching. While
all of those pieces certainly had a place in the program, they were not the sole
focal point.

Teacher training can best be described as part teacher
training/ part group therapy (and I use that term lovingly- I assure
you!). I would say that would have been good information to share with a
rookie, no?? Apparently it’s “common knowledge” and not that
important to be so “forthcoming” about. Whatever. While I’d
like to say I wish I had known upfront, in hindsight, I really don’t.
I’m quite pleased that I didn’t have the opportunity to over think
(or set expectations) ahead of time and feel pretty confident saying that it
made for a richer experience.

So, on we go. I show up on day 1 and find there are
about 130 participants and that the chef is preparing a low fat, low mucus,
gluten free, “life giving” menu. I don’t even really
know what most of those words mean, but I’m an open minded girl (and
starving), so I eat. [As an aside, I think it’s important to note
that I thought I had been focusing my entire life on a low mucus diet- isn’t
that really the main reason to be nice to the waiter? (yes, yes, of
course, treat others as you wish to be treated, blah, blah, blah, but
really??) We all know what happens to the token jerk before his food
leaves the kitchen, right? Come on, work with me here.]

After dinner we are treated to Baptiste’s signature “journey
into power” sequence. It’s challenging and hot, but you can’t
imagine how amazing it is to be in a room with 130 other people, whose mats are
no more than 1” apart, and whose excitement and enthusiasm are
palpable! I left feeling energized and ready to start the week! Oh
and sweaty. Very sweaty. This becomes a theme, by the way.

Day 2 starts out with an hour long, excruciating meditation
followed by 5 hours of yoga. Why excruciating, you ask? Have you
ever sat in the same position on the floor for an hour and tried to clear your
head of the chatter? Trust me when I tell you it’s harder than it
looks. My feet fell asleep, my hips starting aching and my back was
screaming! Unlike the owner of this blog, I was far less successful. The rest
of the day is filled with therapy and more yoga. All in all, they set the
precedent for the 16 hour days which will fill the rest of the week.

We get very regular intermissions to reflect and discuss
what is going on in our heads and our hearts and we start to get to know each
other- one on one and then, if you chose, one on 130. At first, I’ll
be honest. It freaked me out! The first time someone openly cried
in front of the group (which was on Day 1), I thought to myself: “Sweet
Jesus What on EARTH is happening?!?!”

I came to learn that I was one of very few who did not know
what the program was about and the overwhelming majority was more than ready to
dive in. They NEEDED this. So did I. I needed it just as much
as everyone else. If not more.

For me specifically, it was a huge challenge. I needed
it, but that certainly did not mean I was ready to receive it. I think
the people who know me best would use the word “strong” to describe
me (of course among other things, like smart, funny, and really pretty).
And I would agree – about the strong part. This means however, that
it’s extremely hard for me to show vulnerability- especially with people
who don’t know me.

They did an amazing job however creating a very safe place
for people to share, break down and be built back up. I feel like the
program was designed to create a “crisis” of sorts. You are
repeatedly and constantly fatigued to the point of exhaustion- physically,
mentally and emotionally, so that you can no longer fight back, repress, or
avoid the feelings you’re having. You have no option in the matter,
really.

NOW, picture sharing that with 130 people – your deepest
insecurities and fears. It’s amazing. Added bonus: they found
130 truly REMARKABLE people (which I’m still baffled by- Every. Single. Person.
Amazing.) You build pretty deep, very rich relationships and friendships—quickly!
It’s not like anything I have ever experienced before. It’s
hard to believe that I’ve only known these people for 30 days. I feel
like I’ve known them for years. And I feel I am a better person for
having known them.

If you’re out there reading, THANK YOU. From the
bottom of my heart. You changed my life. Namaste.